British Invasion

The dying embers of the Sex Pistols’ punk classic “God Save the
Queen” fade to silence, and the lights are cut throughout the
arena. Chris Leben
stalks the darkened cage. The sporadic flicker of flashing cameras
briefly illuminate an expectant capacity crowd, the fervor of which
builds to crescendo at a glimpse of the man the fans have come to
see.

It is the first time a British fighter will carry an Ultimate
Fighting Championship event in his native land. Roars of
encouragement accompany the then 17-1 middleweight on his journey
along the narrow path leading from the bowels of the National
Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, to the UFC-branded Octagon.
Precedence has been set.

The perceived glass ceiling for British mixed martial arts fighters
no longer exists. Season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter” series
revealed not only the highly colloquial nature of Northern English
banter but also the increasing quality of young fighters in the
U.K.

Add to that list the devastating Paul Daley, so
impressive in his destruction of Martin
Kampmann at UFC 103, and a promising group of young British
fighters has assembled, poised to make an imprint on the world
stage.

The palpable feeling amongst many British fighters is that this is
a period of opportunity unlike any that has come before it.
Progress in the U.K has been arduous. Before he became a headliner,
Bisping struggled within the fledgling U.K. scene, having to
supplement his fight career with a variety of professions, which
included tiler, plasterer, slaughterer, postman, door-to-door
salesman, demolition worker and upholsterer. MMA was a much less
profitable and viable interest back then.

“Financially, it was very, very hard,” Bisping said. “At the
beginning, it was about scraping a living. I would fight as often
as I could just to pay the bills. When I first started, no one knew
what MMA was. You would tell people what you do, and it was like,
‘Mixed Martial Artist? What’s that?’ It was only when you went to
the lowest denominator of cage fighter that they understood, and
then they thought you were a nutter.”

The acceptance of the sport in
Britain has improved the level
of fighters being produced.

The acceptance of MMA in Britain has improved the level of fighters
being produced. Increased awareness and interest have naturally led
to a rise in participation, attracting promising young athletes to
the sport, athletes who in years past may have dedicated themselves
to only one discipline.

The correlation between popularity and quality can also be traced
to improved training facilities. Paul Ivens,
co-founder of the London Shootfighters gym has experienced such
growth.

“Fighters these days have much more access to train like a
professional,” he said. “MMA is much more popular as a whole,
allowing gyms to operate full-time and the fighters to benefit from
that. There are now full-time MMA gyms all over the country, which
was never the case even a few years ago.

“London Shootfighters is a great example of the improvement of gyms
alongside the growth of MMA,” Ivens continued. “Ten years ago, no
one knew about MMA, and we were sharing a small 500-square-foot
Aikido dojo, teaching a couple of times a week. Four years ago, we
opened one of the U.K.’s first full-time MMA gyms with about 3500
square feet of space and classes every day. Now we have what I
believe is the largest MMA gym in the world, with 35,000 square
feet of space and over 35 lessons a week and nine coaches. The
growth of the sport is attracting more people to it, and,
accordingly, the talent pool is greater.”

Hardy stands as a prominent example of the enhanced benefits
available to prospective fighters in Britain. A veteran of several
domestic promotions, Hardy has seen firsthand the sizeable strides
made during his five years of competition.

“The standard has advanced massively,” Hardy said. “Fighters are
improving, and the lower level shows are better organized. It’s
easier to find a place to train now, and there is more of a
community around it, so there are plenty of people to help you out.
Also, the money is a little better in the pro shows, and there are
amateur and semi-pro fights now.”

Heightened quality has surfaced on more than just an international
scale. Domestic shows are now laced with worthy lineups that blend
experienced veterans with exciting newcomers. Unbeaten prospects
such as Giorgio
Andrews -- who will appear at the forthcoming FX3 event on
Halloween -- and Ultimate Challenge UK light heavyweight champion
Jimi
Manuwa continue to impress and mark the emergence of more
well-rounded MMA fighters in Britain. With training facilities and
popularity continually improving, it may not be long before an ever
increasing number of British fighters establish themselves on the
world stage.

Hardy was also quick to emphasize the important role played by
fighters like Bisping and UFC veteran Ian Freeman.
Their success has offered a blueprint for prospective fighters.

“There is a distinct path to follow for young fighters today,”
Hardy said. “You start on the smaller shows and know that you can
progress through, depending on your success. A few years back, it
was difficult to get the right fights; you just took what you could
get.”